From: Jonathan Heller
Date: 4/5/00
Time: 12:02:44 PM
Remote Name: 155.247.158.109
Define the phrase "Manifest Destiny" and explain its significance to U.S. history in the 1840s.
Manifest Destiny was a term created by an editor named John L. O’Sullavan. It was a very racist term as well as doctrine. The term and doctrine has three main rules: God is on the side of American expansion, Free development, and make space for population. The first rule is a very racist term as it basically explains that the Americans area better race than Native Americans because “God” said so. The second rule supports these efforts and that America should do what is right. The third rule is basically about making money. What America believed was when the population grew, they could expand out for more space. That way the increase in population would help the increase in the economy. Now days when we say “Manifest Destiny”, we think of the belief of expanding America to the Pacific. However back in the 1840’s, the United States fought wars and killed many people to gain the territory. Even though we have achieved Manifest Destiny, it was not what we think. We basically destroyed Indian cultures and we leached off of others. However Manifest Destiny allowed us to be what we are today.